Official Minnesota Chat Thread

IRL-MN · 02-04-2010, 08:43 AM

Brian, I have become pretty familiar with the innards of my cars front end in advance of swapping my bumper to the m-tech one. The new bumper requires different air ducts for the brakes and oil cooler, but there are already ducts there with my standard bumper. Doesn't you car already have cooling ducts for the brakes? Or are you trying to improve upon the stock ones? You'll have to excuse my ignorance on the E90 version of the 335

Anyway, you're a braver man than me to pull apart an E9X, good work

Where do you plan to track your car? I would love to do this too, but it would get expensive quick for me as I'd only want to do it with an manual transmission, so I would need an E30 M3 or a Z3 M Coupe

ajvee · 02-04-2010, 09:58 AM

Hey Gary thanks for starting this thread. I think I share a similar view on tracking. I am not comfortable with the idea of tracking my only car. Moreover, tracking in my opinion is more about suspension setup, tires, and weight than about power, as I get the most satisfaction from being able to drive around corners fast. So, in this regard, the perfect track car for me would be a used miata on coilovers, urethane bushings, good tires, and stripped of all its excess weight.

IRL-MN · 02-04-2010, 11:05 AM

I agree 100%, to me, high speed cornering is much more satisfying than straight line speed, so having a relatively inexpensive track car is the way to go. While a Miata would be a great candidate, I am too tall to fit comfortably in one

Logic says get an old 944 (much cheaper to buy and mod), but I would really like an E30 M3 or M Coupe

BrianMN · 02-04-2010, 02:53 PM

Yep, I too have contemplated getting an E36 M3 for a designated track car...and I might if I get in too deep with my E90.

As for our cars' stock brake ducts, THEY ARE WORTHLESS The oil cooler cooling system works, but the brake ducts are just truly nothing. Look at the front of the wheel liner and you'll see where these 'ducts' come out. They provide no air to the brake system at all, and there is no way the stock ducts can be improved.

THe best way to cool brakes is pumping air to the inside center of the rotors. In order for this to be done, a flexible hose is a the most viable option...and it gets tricky when trying to find places to route it, because it must clear the suspension travel and the wheel when turning--This is why the stock ducts can't be modified.

Some people say the scariest things in life are public speaking, death, marriage, etc. For me, I think the scariest thing in life is charging into a corner at 140+ and have my brake pedal go all the way to the floor, and I'm doing this to minimize the times that will happen. I know my car is not a racecar, but I do like to have fun with it, and this is essentially a safety measure.

As for tracking events, I can't recommend them enough--you can go as fast or as conservative as you want, and what I enjoy most is being around people that are smarter and more experienced than me. For the money, (~$200-250), it makes an incredibly fun weekend. Donnybrooke Driving School puts on track days at Brainerd, BMWCCA holds hundreds of events all around the US, Road America has open (not school-based) track days, and the Autobahn Country Club is just that...a country club with a racetrack instead of a golf course.

Hope this helps!

IRL-MN · 02-04-2010, 03:22 PM

OK I gotcha now. I was wondering how effective they would be alright, given that they terminate on the front face of the fender liner. So how quickly would you start to experience brake fade on the track? I can imagine how unpleasant it must be to have the pedal go all the way to the floor when approaching a corner at high speed!

It's a shame there aren't any tracks closer to the cities than BIR. How often would you get up there? I'll probably join the BMWCCA this week and try to get my car up there this summer, though I hear the auto trans. can overheat pretty quick on the track...

MN BMW · 02-04-2010, 05:00 PM

The BMWCCA is a great organization. I've been a member for 2 years. However I always seem to have other obligations on the weekends of their events! IMO one of the benefits is the publication "Roundel". It has a good insight, however sometimes I think the editors love their 2002s too much!

BSME90 · 02-04-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSME90

Some people say the scariest things in life are public speaking, death, marriage, etc. For me, I think the scariest thing in life is charging into a corner at 140+ and have my brake pedal go all the way to the floor, and I'm doing this to minimize the times that will happen. I know my car is not a racecar, but I do like to have fun with it, and this is essentially a safety measure.

I'm sorry but I find that funny.

I would think a 1-Series would be a great track car, being light and agile. If I ever did some track or autocrossing, I would love to have a MG.

IRL-MN · 02-04-2010, 08:53 PM

I'd just love to have an Ariel Atom to thrash around a track!

http://www.arielatom.com/

It's a wee bit spendy for a track car though!

ajvee · 02-04-2010, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSME90

I'm sorry but I find that funny.

I would think a 1-Series would be a great track car, being light and agile. If I ever did some track or autocrossing, I would love to have a MG.

Theoretically yes, the 1-series would be a great track car. Having driven the 3 series, the 1-series is a lot more agile and communicative. However, in stock form, it is still too heavy to be a serious track machine. Specifically, there would be quite a bit of body roll in stock form. I guess I am just a bit old school when it comes to tracking, I prefer a completely stripped down car that can handle a lot of track miles. I don't think our cars can support that without major modifications.

I will try and dig up some track videos.

BTW - Please tell us more about your plan to supercharge your car!

ajvee · 02-04-2010, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IRL-MN

I'd just love to have an Ariel Atom to thrash around a track!

http://www.arielatom.com/

It's a wee bit spendy for a track car though!

Gary, you might recognize this little beast. Caterham super 7. This used to be our track machine back in the day. Fiberglass body, light chassis, and tight suspension. The engine was old school: 1800 cc carbureted with two double barrel side draft webbers running without an air filter and a 5 speed manual. The car sounded amazing and was absolutely amazing around the track.

airwolf878 · 02-04-2010, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajvee

Having driven the 3 series, the 1-series is a lot more agile and communicative.

Yeah, well, at least the 3 series doesn't have bug-eye headlights! Haha, just playin...

ajvee · 02-04-2010, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by airwolf878

Yeah, well, at least the 3 series doesn't have bug-eye headlights! Haha, just playin...

HAHAHAHA, you've got me there! I will be the first to admit that the 1-series is not the prettiest car around. On the contrary, I think the 3 series coupe is one of the best looking cars ever built.

IRL-MN · 02-04-2010, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajvee

Gary, you might recognize this little beast. Caterham super 7. This used to be our track machine back in the day. Fiberglass body, light chassis, and tight suspension. The engine was old school: 1800 cc carbureted with two double barrel side draft webbers running without an air filter and a 5 speed manual. The car sounded amazing and was absolutely amazing around the track.

Wow, that is awesome Anvar! I bet that thing was fun. So did you compete in it? Caterhams are pretty reasonably priced back in the UK, but they are so expensive here, even without any running gear included.

At the other end of the spectrum, have you ever heard of this?

http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/

I was kicking this idea around last year with a couple of guys, but unfortunately it never happened. I think finding and prepping a car for $500 could be more of a challenge than actually participating in the race

ajvee · 02-05-2010, 03:12 PM

We didn't compete with it at all. Just used it for the odd track weekend.

My friend and I were discussing the 24 hr of the lemons as well and were talking about which cars would be perfect. I think an old school GTI would be a good lemon to enter in.

IRL-MN · 02-05-2010, 04:19 PM

A GTI would be a good choice opf vehicle for sure. Finding one for less than $500 would be a challenge though. After spending some time trawling through craigslist last year, most of what came in under the budget was domestic, large and slow!

ajvee · 02-05-2010, 05:01 PM

Now, a two month wait to put them on. Talk about a depressing thought...

IRL-MN · 02-05-2010, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajvee

Now, a two month wait to put them on. Talk about a depressing thought...

Congrats man! I feel bad enough about having to wait till April and I haven't even decided on a set of wheels yet! I can't imagine having everything all ready to roll and then having to sit on them for 2 months!!

So, any teasers to share?

airwolf878 · 02-05-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajvee

Now, a two month wait to put them on. Talk about a depressing thought...

Tell us what you got already!

ajvee · 02-05-2010, 11:40 PM

Enjoy!

ktan · 02-06-2010, 03:20 PM

New V701s with photoshopped drop

I threw them on just to see what they look like - obviously gonna need springs this spring!

IRL-MN · 02-06-2010, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajvee

Enjoy!

If they are what I think they are they will look sweet on your 1er! It's gonna be a tough couple of months for you

IRL-MN · 02-06-2010, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktan

New V701s with photoshopped drop

I threw them on just to see what they look like - obviously gonna need springs this spring!

I think the gunmetal looks great on the black car Kevin. I'm bummed that it's so close to my space gray, just don't think it looks right. Anyway, have you any more plans for the car this year besides springs?

02-04-2010, 08:43 AM	#1
IRL-MN Major 46 Rep 1,151 Posts Drives: F82 \| E30 \| E28 \| E24 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA iTrader: (0)	Official Minnesota Chat Thread Brian, I have become pretty familiar with the innards of my cars front end in advance of swapping my bumper to the m-tech one. The new bumper requires different air ducts for the brakes and oil cooler, but there are already ducts there with my standard bumper. Doesn't you car already have cooling ducts for the brakes? Or are you trying to improve upon the stock ones? You'll have to excuse my ignorance on the E90 version of the 335 Anyway, you're a braver man than me to pull apart an E9X, good work Where do you plan to track your car? I would love to do this too, but it would get expensive quick for me as I'd only want to do it with an manual transmission, so I would need an E30 M3 or a Z3 M Coupe
	Appreciate 0 Tweet

02-04-2010, 09:58 AM	#2
ajvee Major 131 Rep 1,451 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: None iTrader: (13)	Hey Gary thanks for starting this thread. I think I share a similar view on tracking. I am not comfortable with the idea of tracking my only car. Moreover, tracking in my opinion is more about suspension setup, tires, and weight than about power, as I get the most satisfaction from being able to drive around corners fast. So, in this regard, the perfect track car for me would be a used miata on coilovers, urethane bushings, good tires, and stripped of all its excess weight.
	Appreciate 0

02-04-2010, 11:05 AM	#3
IRL-MN Major 46 Rep 1,151 Posts Drives: F82 \| E30 \| E28 \| E24 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA iTrader: (0)	I agree 100%, to me, high speed cornering is much more satisfying than straight line speed, so having a relatively inexpensive track car is the way to go. While a Miata would be a great candidate, I am too tall to fit comfortably in one Logic says get an old 944 (much cheaper to buy and mod), but I would really like an E30 M3 or M Coupe
	Appreciate 0

02-04-2010, 02:53 PM	#4
BrianMN Banned 128 Rep 2,428 Posts Drives: 4 Door Family Sedan Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Minneapolis iTrader: (7)	Yep, I too have contemplated getting an E36 M3 for a designated track car...and I might if I get in too deep with my E90. As for our cars' stock brake ducts, THEY ARE WORTHLESS The oil cooler cooling system works, but the brake ducts are just truly nothing. Look at the front of the wheel liner and you'll see where these 'ducts' come out. They provide no air to the brake system at all, and there is no way the stock ducts can be improved. THe best way to cool brakes is pumping air to the inside center of the rotors. In order for this to be done, a flexible hose is a the most viable option...and it gets tricky when trying to find places to route it, because it must clear the suspension travel and the wheel when turning--This is why the stock ducts can't be modified. Some people say the scariest things in life are public speaking, death, marriage, etc. For me, I think the scariest thing in life is charging into a corner at 140+ and have my brake pedal go all the way to the floor, and I'm doing this to minimize the times that will happen. I know my car is not a racecar, but I do like to have fun with it, and this is essentially a safety measure. As for tracking events, I can't recommend them enough--you can go as fast or as conservative as you want, and what I enjoy most is being around people that are smarter and more experienced than me. For the money, (~$200-250), it makes an incredibly fun weekend. Donnybrooke Driving School puts on track days at Brainerd, BMWCCA holds hundreds of events all around the US, Road America has open (not school-based) track days, and the Autobahn Country Club is just that...a country club with a racetrack instead of a golf course. Hope this helps!
	Appreciate 0

02-04-2010, 03:22 PM	#5
IRL-MN Major 46 Rep 1,151 Posts Drives: F82 \| E30 \| E28 \| E24 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA iTrader: (0)	OK I gotcha now. I was wondering how effective they would be alright, given that they terminate on the front face of the fender liner. So how quickly would you start to experience brake fade on the track? I can imagine how unpleasant it must be to have the pedal go all the way to the floor when approaching a corner at high speed! It's a shame there aren't any tracks closer to the cities than BIR. How often would you get up there? I'll probably join the BMWCCA this week and try to get my car up there this summer, though I hear the auto trans. can overheat pretty quick on the track...
	Appreciate 0

02-04-2010, 05:00 PM	#6
MN BMW Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 241 Posts Drives: 07 Montego 328 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Minneapolis iTrader: (0)	The BMWCCA is a great organization. I've been a member for 2 years. However I always seem to have other obligations on the weekends of their events! IMO one of the benefits is the publication "Roundel". It has a good insight, however sometimes I think the editors love their 2002s too much! __________________ Montego/Beige with Aluminum/ZSP/ZPP/ZCW/XENON/OEM Spoiler/M Footrest/Logic7/Style 158 for Winter
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02-04-2010, 08:53 PM	#8
IRL-MN Major 46 Rep 1,151 Posts Drives: F82 \| E30 \| E28 \| E24 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA iTrader: (0)	I'd just love to have an Ariel Atom to thrash around a track! http://www.arielatom.com/ It's a wee bit spendy for a track car though!
	Appreciate 0

02-05-2010, 03:12 PM	#14
ajvee Major 131 Rep 1,451 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: None iTrader: (13)	We didn't compete with it at all. Just used it for the odd track weekend. My friend and I were discussing the 24 hr of the lemons as well and were talking about which cars would be perfect. I think an old school GTI would be a good lemon to enter in.
	Appreciate 0

02-05-2010, 04:19 PM	#15
IRL-MN Major 46 Rep 1,151 Posts Drives: F82 \| E30 \| E28 \| E24 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA iTrader: (0)	A GTI would be a good choice opf vehicle for sure. Finding one for less than $500 would be a challenge though. After spending some time trawling through craigslist last year, most of what came in under the budget was domestic, large and slow!
	Appreciate 0

02-05-2010, 05:01 PM	#16
ajvee Major 131 Rep 1,451 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: None iTrader: (13)	Wheels And Tires Have Arrived! Now, a two month wait to put them on. Talk about a depressing thought...
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02-05-2010, 11:40 PM	#19
ajvee Major 131 Rep 1,451 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: None iTrader: (13)	Teaser! Enjoy! Attached Images
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02-06-2010, 03:20 PM	#20
ktan Private 1 Rep 53 Posts Drives: 2006 M5 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minneapolis / Kuala Lumpur iTrader: (0)	V701s New V701s with photoshopped drop I threw them on just to see what they look like - obviously gonna need springs this spring! Last edited by ktan; 02-06-2010 at 04:30 PM..
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